Dr Josh Morton features in Harvard Business Review
A piece written by Associate Professor Dr Josh Morton on using prompt engineering to improve how we communicate has been featured in the Harvard Business Review.
Dr Morton’s article, titled ‘Using Prompt Engineering to Better Communicate with People’, offers six guidelines to consider when initiating discussions with stakeholders, whether they’re customers, partners, or employees.
He draws on his experience of studying more than 40 organizations and how they engage with different stakeholders to harness the information behind these guidelines. Dr Morton’s research has involved working closely with organizations and managers by observing what they do, and has provided managers with guidance on how best to engage with stakeholders.
Dr Morton notes that it is important to “frame prompts” to ensure “optimum responses”. He states that one of the best ways to achieve this is by using open-ended prompts such as “Can you tell me about...” or “How did you go about...”.
Dr Morton also stresses that it is important for prompts to convey empathetic language and humilty:
Acknowledging and appreciating stakeholders can build positive reinforcement. In turn, this encourages stakeholders to share more and provides a positive atmosphere for discussion.
Further guidelines include harnessing humor, playfulness, and emotions, utilizing reflective and thoughtful probing, acknowledging key challenges, and being a good (and patient) listener.
